Frampton Beats Santa Cruz to Claim WBA Crown

Carl Frampton made history last night at the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn, New York.

After relinquishing the IBF and WBA super-bantamweight titles to move up to featherweight, many pundits questioned whether Frampton had made a wise-move considering he?d decided to take on the undisputed king of the division in the shape of the 27-year-old Mexican Leo Santa Cruz.

Ahead of the fight Frampton had told everybody who would listen that he was going to win and that was exactly what the Irishman did and in doing so he has become the first Northern Ireland fighter to win world titles at two different weights.

After a hugely entertaining encounter, Frampton took the verdict on points with the judge?s score-cards reading:

In what was his fifth world title fight, Frampton made the better start, rapping the champion on the ropes and hitting him with some heavy punches in the second round.

However, Santa Cruz who had never been beaten as a professional started to use his extra height and reach throwing more punches but without covering up the fact Frampton?s punches were far more cleaner and more effective.

By the half way point, Frampton was ahead but the champion put in a couple of good rounds to claw his way back into the contest.

Over the course of the next few rounds Frampton continued to build his lead and although Santa Cruz rallied late on, catching Frampton with a good right-hand in the tenth, Frampton refused to buckle and kept his cool to take the verdict.

In becoming the WBA featherweight champion, Frampton has claimed the very same title his mentor and manager, Barry McGuigan, held over thirty years ago.

After the fight an emotional and delighted McGuigan had this to say:

‘This is one of the greatest nights of my life. It doesn’t get much better than this.’

It certainly doesn?t, Carl Frampton, two weight world champion, congratulations from all of us at Vital Boxing.